Air-Fried Mofongo: A Quick, Crispy, And Delicious Dish

Mofongo is a traditional Caribbean dish, thought to originate in Puerto Rico, made from fried green (unripe) plantains mashed together with garlic and crackling pork rinds, also known as chicharrón. To make mofongo in an air fryer, peel and cut the plantains into chunks and air fry them at 400F for 8 minutes. Cut your pork belly into small chunks and add to a bowl with the plantains and garlic. Mash it all together and form into balls. Air fry at 400F for another 8 minutes.

Peel and cut plantains into chunks

To make mofongo in an air fryer, you'll need to start by preparing your plantains. Peel the plantains and cut them into chunks—aim for slices that are around one inch thick. You can make peeling the plantains easier by first soaking them in hot water for a couple of minutes to soften the skin.

Once peeled, use a sharp knife to cut the plantains into chunks. You want the plantain slices to be around one inch thick and cut across the width of the plantain. This will give you those chunky pieces that are perfect for frying and mashing.

After cutting, you'll be ready to air fry the plantain chunks. But remember, for mofongo, you want to use green, unripe plantains. Ripe plantains will be too soft and sweet for this dish.

Fry plantains in air fryer

To make mofongo in an air fryer, you'll first need to fry some plantains. Here's a guide to doing that:

Fry Plantains in an Air Fryer

Plantains are a starchy fruit from the banana family. They are typically eaten cooked and are popular in Latin American, Caribbean, and African cuisines.

When choosing your plantains, opt for green, unripe plantains. These have a white flesh and are like a starchy vegetable. Yellow plantains are starting to ripen and sweeten, while black plantains are very ripe and sweet. Green plantains are best for mofongo, as ripe plantains will be too soft and sweet.

To prepare your plantains, start by cutting off the ends with a paring knife. Then, cut down one of the seams of the skin lengthwise. Carefully peel back the skin and cut the plantain into 1-inch pieces. Place the plantain pieces in a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of oil to coat them completely.

Place the plantains in the air fryer, making sure they are not piled on top of each other, and cook at 325°F for 10 minutes. Then, place the plantains on a cutting board and flatten them into 1/4-inch thick disks using a tostonera or a flat-bottomed cup or plate. Coat the flattened plantains with the remaining oil.

Place the plantains back in the air fryer and cook at 325°F for an additional 5-7 minutes, until they are golden. The plantains are now ready to be used in your mofongo recipe.

Some tips for frying plantains in an air fryer:

• Use fresh green plantains and do not refrigerate them, as this will cause them to dry out and break apart.
• Cut the plantains into pieces that are no bigger than 1 inch to ensure even cooking.
• Oil the plantains well to seal in moisture and create a crispy texture.
• Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the plantains in batches.

Prepare other ingredients

While the plantains are frying, you can prepare the other ingredients. For a classic mofongo, you will need garlic, either fresh/crushed or powdered, and fried pork skin rinds, also known as "chicharrones" or pork cracklings. If you don't eat pork, you can replace the pork rinds with a crunchy nut ingredient, such as sliced almonds or walnut pieces. You will also need salt and pepper to taste, and a tablespoon of olive oil.

If you are making a vegan mofongo, you can leave out the pork rinds and serve with vegetable stock. For chicken mofongo, you can serve it with Pollo guisado with abundant sauce, or Res ripiada, a Dominican ropa vieja-style beef. For a more adventurous take, you can try a shrimp mofongo with tomato sauce, or a ripe plantain mofonguito, or mofongo relleno de pollo.

To add some extra flavour to the mofongo mixture, you can add a few tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro and a dash of smoked paprika.

Mash and mix ingredients

Now that you have fried your plantains, it's time to mash and mix them with the other ingredients. Place four or five pieces of fried plantain in a pilón (a wooden mortar and pestle) and mash them. If you don't have a pilón, you can use a potato masher or the bottom of a metal cup. Add a couple of garlic cloves, a few pieces of pork belly or pork cracklings (also known as chicharrón), a tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash the mixture again until everything is well combined.

If you are making the old-style Dominican mofongo, you will need to crush the garlic and salt together first, then add in the plantains and mash, followed by the pork cracklings. This version will have a denser consistency and will form more of a ball shape. If you are using roasted plantains, mix in the olive oil as this version tends to be drier than the fried mofongo.

Shape and serve

Once you've prepared your mofongo mixture, it's time to shape and serve it!

Shaping your Mofongo

• Using your hands or a spoon, shape the mixture into a half-ball (round with a flat bottom).
• If serving as a side dish or without any fillings, you're done! Simply plate it up and serve.
• For a filled mofongo, use your hand or a large spoon to create a concave bowl shape in the top of the half-ball.
• You can then spoon your chosen filling into the mofongo.
• Some recipes suggest shaping the mofongo into a ball or a half-dome using a small condiment bowl as a mould.
• Press a portion of the mofongo into the bottom of the bowl, smooth it over with the back of a spoon, and then use the spoon to scrape around the bowl and remove the mofongo in a half-dome shape.

Serving your Mofongo

• Mofongo can be served as a side dish or a main course, especially when stuffed with meat or seafood.
• It can be accompanied by a protein such as chicken or shrimp, and beans and rice.
• It is often served in a bowl with a broth poured over the top.
• For a vegan mofongo, serve with vegetable stock instead of beef or chicken broth.
• Mofongo is best eaten fresh, as it can become dry and crumbly, and the pork rinds will lose their crispiness.

Frequently asked questions